A New Life
by bigC94
Summary: "We all have dreams," James said, "the twerp is turning a new chapter in his life today…I say we do the same." A story of new beginnings. Set after Ash becomes Champion of the Indigo Plateau. AAML, DAML, and lots of others.


**This was originally going to be a one shot, but I saw some potential for it to turn into a short fic. It's just going to be a nice little slice-of-life fic though, so if you don't like fluff and such it may not be your cup of tea. If you do, continue reading ;D Make sure to leave a review on what you thought of this first chapter!**

* * *

"So the twerp finally did it, huh?" The magenta haired member of the Team Rocket trio asked plainly.

The malefactors were camped out on a hill overlooking the small town called Pallet. From their vantage point they could see Pallet's most notable landmark, the Oak Corral, quite clearly; as the hill it stood upon was opposite theirs. Pallet Town was usually a quiet, quaint town where not much happened; but today was a not a usual day. Pallet Town was packed to the brim with trainers, Pokémon, and celebrities alike all roaming the streets. Numerous vendors from various regions coerced naive trainers into purchasing bric-a-brac. An upbeat pop song sung by the recent Kanto Idol could be heard from the distance.

"Indeed," replied James whilst still looking through his Team Rocket issued binoculars.

"Never thought he had it in him," their bipedal feline friend stated in his signature Brooklyn accent. James nodded.

"We've been following him for…jeez, how long has it been now?" asked James, attempting to recall the time.

"11 years…he's 21 now," Jessie replied with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Took him 11 years, but the twerp finally did it…he won a legitimate Pokémon League Championship," said James.

"Though you can't be too hard on the kid, he's a lot younger than some of the other Champions like Cynthia, Wallace and Alder," Meowth replied.

"Do you see him?" Jessie asked James, who still had not removed the binoculars from his eyes.

"Nope…but there's a vendor down there who has some vintage bottle caps for sale," James stated.

"Pay attention James!" shouted Jessie with a slap on his back, causing the binoculars to fall from his grasp. "Now, what's our plan of action today? Might we go for the classic faux-vendor look? Or we could pose as a pop group…I've always wanted to sing for a large crowd of adoring fans!" Jessie began to float off into her own fantasy world in which she was a rich and famous singer. James and Meowth sweat dropped.

"Actually…I think we _shouldn't_ have a plan today," James said. Jessie landed back in the real world and gave James a glare that would scare the pants off a Machamp.

"We shouldn't have a plan…WE SHOULDN'T HAVE A PLAN! Need I remind you that we _still_ haven't caught Pikachu after eleven years? _ELEVEN _years James!"

"Actually, I agree with him," Meowth said. Jessie turned to Meowth and gave him an equally menacing glare.

"Are you serious? You can't be serious? Someone has replaced my partners with dopey doppelgangers! Is this some kind of trick to test my loyalty to Team Rocket?"

"I'm me, and I'm pretty sure James is James," Meowth replied, "but James is right. We've been chasing after that twerp and his Pikachu for eleven years. Know what the twerp has been chasing after those eleven years? His dreams…and now he's got 'em. But we have nothing to show for it. Think about it Jesse; why do we want Pikachu?"

"To please the boss, of course," Jesse quickly answered.

"The boss don't want nothing to do with Pikachu…or us for that matter!" Meowth said. "When was the last time you talked to the boss?"

"Um…well…" Jesse tried vainly to search her memory for a specific date.

"I'll tell ya…two years ago! The boss don't need us no more. Younger, fresher and more resourceful recruits go through Team Rocket every day…we're just a bunch of washed up has-beens trying to catch a kid and his Pikachu," Meowth replied solemnly.

"It's true," James piped in, "We could have been something bigger; but instead of training to better ourselves, we just kept on making hare-brained schemes! I'm through with all of this! Why can't we just have a day to enjoy ourselves? Don't you have dreams Jessie?"

"I…I…yes…" she stammered as she realized that she had been going through her life not really _living_ at all.

"We all have dreams," James said, "the twerp is turning a new chapter in his life today…I say we do the same." Jessie looked defeated, but she had to admit that her friends were right.

"Ok, we'll go down to the celebration and enjoy ourselves," Jessie gave in.

"Yee!" James squealed with joy.

"Swell! Here's to the new Team Rocket," Meowth exclaimed, putting his hand down in the middle of the group. James and Jessie placed their hands on top of his.

"To a new life!"

* * *

"So then, Ash says to me…wait, you're supposed to have 8 gym badges?"

Gary Oak was standing among a group friends who were laughing hysterically at his jokes. Amidst the group was Iris, Cilan, Bianca, Stephan, Cameron, Trip, Paul, Barry, Zoey, Georgia, Burgundy, May, Drew, Max and Tracey.

"Ash really is a good guy, though," Cameron said after the laughter had died down. "I remember the Vertress Conference when I was almost late for registration. Ash got me there just in time and convinced them to let me register. I felt so bad when I beat him in the quarterfinals…but he took it like a champ; he even cheered for me in the semi-finals!"

"Wow…that's ironic. But not surprising since Ash was always one step behind everyone else," Gary responded snidely.

"Gary, are you making fun of Ash again?"

Gary turned to see Dawn walking towards him. She was older now and much better looking than she was before. She had grown a couple inches taller and no longer wore her signature miniskirt. Instead, she was wearing a simple black t-shirt with a pink Pokeball insignia in the middle and pink designs around the bottom. She also wore a pair of tight, dark jeans which complimented her now curvaceous figure very well. She was no longer wearing her hat, and thus looked more mature. Much to the females chagrin, the males of the group couldn't help but stare as she walked towards them. Gary might have found Dawn annoying when they were young, but he couldn't deny that she was a total babe now…

"Oh come on, you know I do it in good taste," Gary said as he placed a swift kiss on her lips.

…And she was all his.

He loved being the winner.

"Ash is the nicest person in the world," Dawn said as Gary wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her close, "Why do you always make fun of him?"

"That's a good question..." Gary paused to think before continuing, "I guess it's because we are such perfect foils for each other. I'm the jerk who only thinks of himself; Ash is the selfless nice guy who'd lay down his life for a stranger. I'm the smart one who thinks with his head; while Ash is the simple one who thinks with his heart. When you boil it down…I suppose I make fun of him because…in some ways, I envy him. I wish I could be more like him."

"Arceus in heaven, is that _Gary Oak_ I hear?" came a sardonic remark. Gary looked to the direction of the voice and put on his best smirk.

"Depends, is that the loser who actually won for a change?" Gary broke his embrace with Dawn and met Ash halfway. Like most of his friends, Ash looked older; as well he should considering he was 21. Ash's childlike features had all worn away and he was now a full grown man. He had a strongly defined face along with a look of fierce determination and experience in his eyes. His body had also grown over the years and he had a well defined musculature. Ash and Gary faced each other; Ash with a smile and Gary with a smirk. They stared at each other for what seemed like eons before breaking down into tears and embracing.

"Dammit, I'm so happy for you…you loser. You finally won!" Gary said through his sobs.

"I just want you to know that I've always looked up to you, even though you treat me like dirt sometimes. You're like the brother I never had!" Ash wailed. The group began to let out a collective aw at the sentimental moment the two long time rivals were having.

"It's just so beautiful, like the feeling of a warm and flaky croissant meeting the taste buds!" Cilan said through teary eyes.

"Ugh…_still_ a kid…" Iris stated while shaking her head.

"You two need to get a room!" exclaimed an approaching female voice. Ash and Gary's embrace was abruptly split up by the hot-headed ginger known as Misty. Misty, like Dawn, had grown into her figure; and Gary thought it was about time too. While Dawn and May both had some type of figure back in the day, Misty had failed to grown into her own. She was always the skinny, boyish looking one…but not anymore. Misty's bust was considerably larger, though not as much as Dawn or May's. Her hips were also wider than when she was younger and her face had the look of a young woman, not a boy. She was wearing a plain yellow t-shirt which stopped midriff and blue Daisy Dukes. She also wore her orange hair down, which she had grown out past her shoulders. Gary had to admit that she looked good, though not as good as his girl of course.

"Hehehe...me and Gary were just making up for years of resentment, you know?" Ash explained to Misty.

"You two need to chill out…this isn't a slash fic you know."

"What?" asked Gary.

"Hey, have any of you guys seen Brock? I haven't seen him around yet," asked Ash. Each member of the group shook their heads to indicate that they had not seen their gallant friend.

"Though if I know Brock, he's probably near the prettiest girl here," Dawn stated.

"Then why isn't he here?" Gary asked with a slick grin. Dawn pulled him closer.

"Gary Oak…you sly dog," she said as she gave him a passionate kiss.

Score.

"Ahem…you haven't heard, Dawn?" Ash asked after attempting to end the couple's less than chaste make out session. Dawn looked confused.

"Heard what?"

"Oh man…you're gonna want to see it with your own eyes. You won't believe me if I tell you," Ash replied. Misty wrapped her arms around Ash's waist and laid her head on his chest.

"How come we don't express our love like they do?" she whimpered.

"Because, as a Champion I am supposed to act with dignity and class," Ash recited.

"Screw dignity and class, you don't even know what dignity is!" Misty exclaimed.

"I do to!" Ash shot back. "And plus, I'm going to be a role model for tons of kids around the Kanto Region. What would they think if I went around kissing you everywhere?"

"That you're an awesome boyfriend and hopefully it will inspire some knuckleheaded kid trainer to realize that he is in love with the girl he is traveling with instead of abandoning her for 11 years," Misty replied caustically.

"Ten years…I came back to Kanto last year," Ash stated before swiftly kissing his girlfriend. It wasn't as sensual as the kiss Gary and Dawn had shared, but it was something and Misty supposed it would have to do for the time being.

"Man, this is going to be some week, huh?" asked Tracey.

"I know, right?" Max agreed. "Who would have thought that Ash would become Champion of Kanto the same week that my sis and Drew are going to get married?"

"Fine by me, now the party will last even longer!" Zoey exclaimed.

"Only problem is that it's going to suck having to travel from Kanto to Hoenn for the wedding that is only two days away," Paul put in. Ash shrugged.

"My party is only today, and Hoenn isn't _that_ far. Just head out tomorrow morning, you'll be there in no time," Ash replied. Paul sighed.

"That wasn't the point, Ketchum."

"Well what was the point then?" Paul shook his head.

"Still the same old Ash," replied he as he walked off.

"Ahem," Cilan coughed, attempting to end the awkward moment.

"Paul is a total jerk. Why are you even still friends with him?" asked Dawn.

"Paul has his quirks, but he's still a good guy," Ash answered. May shook her head.

"You think _everyone_ is good Ash!"

"Eh, I can't help it…I'm a friendly kind of person," he replied.

"Plus, people can change. Look at me!" Gary exclaimed.

"You're still a jerk, though," said Misty with a smirk.

"Hey! Gary is an awesome guy," Dawn retorted.

"Gary? Gary is the biggest ass I know!" Misty laughed.

"Not bigger than yours…" Dawn said with a glare.

"Are you calling me fat, you little…"

"HEY! How about we not turn this into a chick fight, ok?" Ash stepped in as he saw Misty begin to flare up. It was never good when Misty got that angry.

"I don't have a problem with a chick fight," Barry said.

"Yeah, you guys should totally throw down. It's the only way to solve this," Stephan added. Gary glared at Stephan.

"Maybe _we_ should fight tough guy?" asked Gary as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Please…I wouldn't want to hurt a wimp like you," Stephan replied with a smirk as he folded his arms.

"You think you're so big? Why don't you come at me then?"

"I didn't bring you all here so you could fight each other!" exclaimed Ash.

"Ash is right. We are supposed to be remembering the good times we all shared which made us better friends," Cilan agreed.

"Fine…but this isn't over. I'll take you any day of the week," Gary said to Stephan. Stephan just smirked again.

"Whatever."

"Jeez, so many personalities mixed together makes for a rather interesting stew of emotions," Cilan said.

"What's up with this guy and his food references?" asked May.

"We are S-class Pokémon Connoisseurs and Cilan is the greatest Connoisseur in all of Unova. He is renowned for his excellent command of the English language and references to food as applicable to the situation," Burgundy explained.

"I…don't remember her asking about you…" Drew stated flatly.

"Excusez-Moi! I can speak without being spoken to! Who do you think you are?" Burgundy shouted.

"I am Drew, Top Coordinator in Hoenn _and_ Johto," he confidently replied.

"You Coordinators think you're le meilleur don't you? Well news flash…"

"I think that's quite enough, mon belle," said Cilan as he stepped forward and took Burgundy's hand. He turned to Drew. "I'm terribly sorry for that. You see, Burgundy can get a little…carried away some times." Trip, Max, and Tracey snickered, while Drew looked confused.

"Mon belle?" Drew confusedly asked. "You just said her name was Burgundy."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" May beamed. "Drew, how come you don't have a pet name like that for me?"

"Am I missing something here?" asked Drew. Cilan was now blushing slightly while Burgundy sported an indignant look. Iris, Dawn, Zoey and Bianca joined May in their girlish adulation.

"Yeah…I don't get it either," said Ash. Misty shook her head. After catching his breath, Max adjusted his glasses and spoke up.

"Mon belle is French for 'my beautiful'," Max stated. Ash looked confused; while Drew, Gary, Stephan, and Barry joined Trip, Max and Tracey in their snickering.

"Oh boy, she's got you whipped man!" exclaimed Gary through a stifled laugh.

"Wait, why is everyone laughing?" asked Ash.

"Since you're completely oblivious when it comes to love and affection, I'll tell you. Obviously Cilan and Burgundy are a couple," Misty explained.

"_WHAT!?_" Ash exclaimed. "When did this happen?"

"Well…It started a couple of years ago actually," Cilan recalled, "I had recently become an S-Class Connoisseur and opened an evaluation shop in the Gym. Burgundy then came by and challenged me to a match, saying that if she won I would have to take her as my apprentice. I agreed and she beat me fairly easily. At first, I didn't want to take her as my apprentice, but she beat me fair and square, so I obliged. Eventually, we got to be really good friends and she grew on me. About a year ago is when I asked her to be my girlfriend."

"And we've been _follement amoureuse_ ever since!" Burgundy exclaimed as she planted several kisses on her beau's face.

"You guys are _so_ cute! Like a fairy tale couple," May squealed. "Drew, why can't we be like them?"

"Because I'm not like Cilan."

"You both have green hair," May pointed out.

"Wh-what? I was talking about our personality," said Drew. "Plus, we're getting married soon…that isn't enough for you?"

"Hmph!" May wasn't pleased, but she conceded.

"Hey guys, I think we should split up and cool down a bit…Misty still seems mad about before," Ash suggested.

"I AM NOT still mad about that!" Misty snapped. Ash sweatdropped.

"Heh, right...still, you should come with me," said Ash as he pulled his hot-headed girlfriend away. "Come on, you too Gary…I don't want you and Stephan to start anything."

"I ain't going anywhere unless Dawn comes with me!" Gary explained as he pulled Dawn close to his side. Dawn looked up at Gary with starry eyes.

"Gary…you're so romantic." He smirked.

Score.

"Fine…but Dawn and Misty better not start anything," Ash gave in.

"Don't worry, I'll be good," said Dawn, "I don't know about _her_ though…"

"What! You're the one who…" Ash grabbed Misty's arm and pulled her away.

"Come on guys, let's find Brock!" Ash exclaimed as he ran off with Misty.

"_Ash has the weirdest taste,_" Gary thought to himself, "_You would think he'd pick May or Dawn…even Iris would be better than Misty! Oh well, to each his own, I suppose._" Gary took Dawn's hand and guided her towards Ash and Misty.

Guess he'd always be the winner.

* * *

**I love it when characters break the fourth wall, so it will be happening every once in a while xD. If you liked this so far, you may also enjoy my main project "Adventures in Acirema" which can be found on my profile or by a quick search. It has a similar vibe to this, so check it out! Make sure to leave a review and tell me what you think of this fic so far...I'm planning on somewhere around 10 chapters for this one, so stay tuned!**


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